Cornwall could benefit from the uncertainty Brexit is generating if British tourists opt for staycations, but how much they will spend and will it be sustainable on the long term is the £350 million printed-on-the-side-of-a-bus question.

Tourism chiefs in the Duchy said the sector was not yet 'too worried' about what will happen after March 31 next year because bookings for next season are already looking good.

However the effects of a possible no deal Brexit could be a different kettle of fish especially if there is a growing perception among overseas visitors that Britain has become an unwelcoming place.

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall, the organisation which promotes the county to the rest of the world, said as long as customers come to Cornwall the tourism sector will have to be prepared to welcome them and put on the best offer available possible.

Malcolm Bell of Visit Cornwall (Image: Visit Cornwall)

"We've had crises before," he said. "Dynamic businesses have to be resilient. At the moment everyone in the sector is waiting and watching.

"There is no huge panic because bookings for next year at this time of the year are up. However there is a feeling that the Brexit proceedings are dragging on and that causes uncertainty. No-one like uncertainty."

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Mr Bell said one of the biggest worries about Brexit for visitor attractions, large hotels and restaurants and the leisure sector at large remains the supply of labour and being able to retain and recruit who they want.

"When you compare with London we're quite light on that and they already have some big problems with recruitment. It is a real issue but hopefully one that will be resolved," he added.

However, long term spend may be affected should a no deal Brexit trigger a small recession.

Cornwall's tropic beach, Pedn Vounder, which lies at the bottom of a steep cliff at the village of Treen (Image: Sally Adams)

"We could have a problem if we crash out of Europe with no deal and it sends us into a mini recession," Mr Bell warned. "People don't know if there will be customs or if there will be issues with the E111 forms or if they 'll be able to take their dogs.

"It creates a lot of uncertainty. People will want their holiday. You could think it will be good news for Cornwall if more holidaymakers have staycations rather than go to the Costas. But all it will come down to is the economy. Can they afford that holiday, that extra meal? How much will they spend?"

However he warned that any recession or growing perception among overseas visitors that Britain is less attractive will damage our economy on the long term.

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He added: "There's nothing we can do about it. It's like a fact of life. We're all going to have to cope to with whatever outcome we end up with but I fear we'll end up with a very British European fudge that won't please anyone."

Gordon Seabright, chief executive of Eden Project, echoed the sentiment saying that he fears Brexit is giving foreign visitors the impression that Britain is less welcoming than it is and therefore will make high spending overseas visitors think twice before coming here on holidays.

Eden Project is a massive attraction for tourists in the summer

"While we massively value our UK visitors, overseas visitors tend to spend more so to make them feel less welcome is unwise. If they don't feel welcome here they will go to France or Italy which are our main competitors and that's where they will spend their money."

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Mr Seabright said that while Eden does not employ a huge amount of EU citizens, some of its Latvian chefs left the UK in the weeks after the EU referendum because they no longer felt welcome here.

He said that with the leisure and hospitality and agricultural sectors heavily relying on EU seasonal workers, Cornwall will find itself in much greater competition with other UK regions fighting over a much smaller pool of workers.

Gordon Seabright, CEO of the Eden Project

He added: "Some people may think that having a devalued Pound is good for the economy and tourism as it makes the UK a cheaper destination. But to think that damaging the economy is good for tourism is a short term view. Making ourselves poorer is simply not sustainable in the long term. We'll just be poorer."

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Malcolm Herring, owner of the Blue Hayes Hotel in St Ives, which was named among the top rated hotels in Cornwall on TripAdvisor, did not think it is all doom and gloom.

He said only having a team of only nine people, all of whom live locally, means the hotel has not needed to recruit staff from outside West Cornwall.

The Blue Hayes hotel in St Ives has been named highest rated hotel in Cornwall on TripAdvisor (Image: Blue Hayes Hotel)

He said: "We have a small number of European visitors each year, mainly from Germany, who account for around 5% of our total visitors.

"This year one concern has been the uncertainty of what they will require to visit UK from next year. However, only one of our guests has delayed pre-booking for 2019 until they have a clearer picture, although I understand that EU citizens will not need a visa to visit the UK post-Brexit anyway.

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"For a variety of other reasons, not Brexit, there has certainly been an increase in people not wishing to travel abroad this year, and a number of our guests have mentioned they usually holiday overseas, but this year have preferred to stay in the UK, and certainly Cornwall is a popular destination. Brexit does not appear to be a factor in their decisions for next year either."

The Alverton Hotel in the centre of Truro as seen from the air (Image: The Alverton Hotel)

A spokeswoman for the Alverton Hotel in Truro and the Greenbank Hotel in Falmouth, said: "We'd rather not speculate on the impact leaving the European Union will have on our industry at this stage.

"What we can say is that once agreements are in place we will be reviewing and taking any required actions to ensure it’s business as usual at both The Alverton and The Greenbank."